Impossible Motel

We spent one night in the Stella Solarium room, with original features, impressive views and a private rooftop hot tub already heated to 40°C. It was spacious and beautifully decorated, and the hidden door to the Pink Bar was a fun detail. The night before, we stayed in the Bank vault in the basement, a memorable and unusual room with its original vault door, stylish decor, big TV, strong WiFi and good heating and air-conditioning. We knew to expect an open bathroom and some noise from above, so those quirks didn't surprise us. This characterful hotel is right in the centre, directly across from Betty’s Tea Rooms and a ten-minute walk from the train station. We stayed two nights and loved it. A call an hour before check-in let us know the room was ready, and we were impressed by the decor and warm reception welcome. It's a charming, quirky place with friendly staff. If that's what you're after, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended, 10/10.

We stayed in Room 12 at Impossible Motel during November and had a great time. The rooms are stylish and quirky, and stepping into ours, it was clear a lot of care had gone into keeping it lovely. Staff were friendly and accommodating, and the atmosphere was cool. It's perfectly placed for exploring the city, and the stay felt fun, different and more tailored to guests.

The rooms and service don't seem worth the price, even though the motel is in a prime spot in the heart of York. It has a dark, intriguing speakeasy feel, but the staff came across as bougie without being very accommodating. Our toilet and shower had no doors. The shower might feel romantic, but an open toilet was a dealbreaker. The shower light didn't work, and nobody came to fix it after we complained. There are no elevators, so carrying luggage is a workout. Staff will help, but it's still inconvenient, and we could hear the bar upstairs. Maybe someone with low expectations, an adventurous streak and a partner they're madly in love with could overlook the issues, especially in one of the top rooms with a jacuzzi. For us, most rooms are just impossible to like.

We arrived at a room that smelled of bad drains, almost like someone had just used the toilet, which was close to reception. It was Christmas in the busy city centre and we didn't want to search for another hotel, so we waited half an hour to see if the smell would clear. It didn't. Reception said they'd fix it while we went to dinner, but when I asked for another room, they had none. A staff member came to look and agreed the smell was unbearable. He said an elastic band in the toilet cistern could fix it, but whatever he did made it much worse. We couldn't stay in a room that smelled of raw sewage, so we packed up and left. No one at reception could refund us then, but they said to call or email a manager the next day. A full refund seemed like the least they could offer when they couldn't provide a room without a human-waste smell. Instead, they said they couldn't refund us because we'd been in the room for an hour and offered a voucher worth half what we'd paid. It was disgraceful, probably the worst customer service I've experienced. Expedia eventually stepped in and gave us a full refund in vouchers. We're lucky we travel enough to use them; others might not be. Avoid at all costs.